How I Don’t Gain Weight On Vacation

Ten years of PRACTICE, modifying how I roll on vacation, and learning to truly enjoy myself without the trip being all about what I AM eating or what I am NOT eating.

I want to give you my best tips to traveling, business or vacation, that supports weight loss or maintenance.

First, know what you want from the trip.

Set a mission for yourself.

My mission this vacation was all about feeling rested and connected to Chris. I put my mind to work on it.

I knew that to have connection and rest meant scheduling ME time. For one of the first trips ever I planned way more on what I would be doing and LESS on the food I would eat or wouldn’t eat.

I’ve had trips and wrote blogs where I’ve packed food and carefully planned everything we would eat. Back then my goal was to not gain a bunch of weight. I didn’t focus on the good time. Although I had some, I definitely put a lot of energy into the food side that I don’t have to now.

I know all those years helped lay good groundwork for being able to vacation with ease now. I know how to not stress over food.

So, my goal was simply focus on rest and connection. Food became an after-thought because I felt confident I would handle it.

I know when I am truly hungry…so I wouldn’t be eating to be eating, eating for fear I would get too hungry, or eating because it was time.

I know I don’t need alcohol to “feel good”…so I drank very little, focused on being confident in my skin without liquid courage, and drank things I really did enjoy!

I know how to eat until satisfied…so I didn’t have to clean my plate, fear when the next meal would be, or feel like if my plate wasn’t clean I didn’t get my money’s worth.

My goal to feel rested and connected opened the doors to making sure I was ADDING things to my trip that made me happy. I didn’t need to add food and booze to do that. I had life to live!

I scheduled things I enjoy: a body wrap, some shopping, poker time, pool time, and running. The only meal we planned was one breakfast. We both wanted to have breakfast together. It wasn’t about the place. It was about being together.

Second, move while you are on out of town.

I have always been a lover of exercise on trips of any kind. That can be ANYTHING you want it to be. On a trip I have no “plan.” No agenda. I move in a way my body loves.

I love to walk or run new towns. I’ve seen many awesome places over the years on my own two feet. Sometimes I get up early and simply walk and take pictures. If I am moving it counts. I’ve also tried new classes, new gyms, and made up beach workouts.

I’ve just always felt like a vacation is such a good opportunity to move in ways you love. Often we are pressed for time in “real life” and vacation allows you to do what you want, for how long you want, when you want.

Third, and most important, reload your house when you get home!

I literally go to the store on the way home from the airport. It’s RARE that I don’t make a grocery list and exercise schedule for the week after a trip.

Why?

Most people I know who don’t re-load the house end up eating out, ordering pizza, and getting by for DAYS after a trip. They blame “busy” life. What do you expect?

It’s no shock you were gone. It’s even less of a shock that while gone your work, email, and more piled up.

I don’t care how tired you are or how much laundry needs to be done, get groceries first. I told my private member clients the other day…”You will order pizza because you don’t have time to go to the store but you will NEVER go to work NAKED because you ran out of time for clean clothes.”

If you don’t have time to food prep, buy things DONE for you. Get the cut up fruit, cut up veggies, pre-portioned hummus and guacamole. Buy a cooked chicken. Grab some wraps and bags of lettuce. Black beans, baked potatoes, cheese and salsa makes a great 6 min. meal at home. Heck, buy good quality frozen pizza and you can make a quick salad to go with it.

The point is that after vacation you won’t gain weight that LASTS if you just get back to life – healthy life. What makes vacation weight (the natural travel gain of 1-5 pounds) is when you go in without a goal, eat like you will never get to have “good food” again, and then come home without some easy, healthy things to feed your family.

On our way home, Chris and I made a grocery list together. We bought easy things to make cobb salads at home, eggs and bacon for breakfast for dinner, lots of nuts for snacks, and steaks to cook quickly and throw some steamed veggies on the side. They make steamer bags you know!

And, as soon as I got off the plane, while waiting on luggage, I booked my workouts for the week.

We’re back and we’re happily working not feeling busy, frustrated, or off plan.